Stephen Benzikie launches strategic consultancy Hydra
Stephen Benzikie, former MD at Bell Pottinger corporate and financial, has launched new strategic consultancy Hydra.
Stephen Benzikie
Prior to his role at Bell Pottinger, Benzikie led Edelman’s financial practice.
He said: “Hand pick the best practice heads from leading agencies, add well-known comms directors from global companies and offer them as a single team of top advisers from day one. That is Hydra.”
Hydra will offer advice and execution across key areas of corporate communications, focusing on the support of senior and board-level professionals such as CEOs and communications directors.
The firm aims to deliver substantial integrated programmes, led by consultants with typically more than 20 years of experience advising companies.
Hydra’s members include former director of corporate affairs at Barratt Developments Patrick Law, investor communications specialist Andrew Mills, former director of corporate communications at American Express Europe Sally Brown and Air Miles founder Geoffrey Bean.
Benzikie added: “We have been in a unique position to put this together because we were all working independently in our own businesses or had started to ‘go plural’, combining comms work with non-exec roles. Even the biggest agencies would be hard-pushed to hire a group of this quality all in one go.”
The firm’s services will include corporate, financial, IR, brand strategy, internal and change communications, litigation support and digital communications.
Hydra’s consultants are already working on programmes for Choice Hotels, private equity company Duke Street, corporate turnaround group Buchler Phillips and London Asia Capital.
